Okay, folks. This damn book was due like a week ago, so ante up with your thoughts on Space Invaders. I know Mark has posted some great stuff on shmups that I intend to look at for this chapter, but if you have any "YOU GOTTA MENTION THIS" type crap, type it up. What I'm probably going to focus on is how the game was so appealing to the general public (instead of "hardcore" gamers), the importance of the high score, and a bit about how it inspired a whole genre of games that is still around today. Just to let you know now, though, there is no way in hell this is going to be a comprehensive look at all shmups, or even all the really good ones. I'll be lucky to get in the top five, so help me out with that if you will.

Pretty extraordinary stuff and as the author says, probably the first of its kind ever attempted. As we know, someone did something similar on the far more capable (though no less impressive of a technical achievement) TRS-80 Color Computer 3 with arcade Donkey Kong.

Keep in mind that the Model 4 came out in 1983, based off of a platform first released in 1977, and the Color Computer 3 came out in 1987, based off of a platform first released in 1980!

kong invadersYours too, I'm sure. Here's the link. It may take awhile, and I should probably waterproof the place first, but of course it would be worth it. This certainly would entertain the spiders. Hopefully even keep them occupied, so they no longer visit us on the first floor.

As I write this I realize I am posting this 4th generation. But I'm guessing there's plenty of people who still haven't seen it. And I'm pretty sure my three friends who actually read my blog haven't seen it.